The first step to make money in your app with Google Ad Manager is to set it up. New apps must undergo an app readiness review and make sure a valid app-ads.txt before they can fully serve ads.
There are two ways to set up an app:
-
Published: Choose this option if you've tested your app and believe it's ready to serve ads. If your app is published in a store that Ad Manager supports and you link the store in your Ad Manager account, your app is automatically reviewed after you set it up in Ad Manager.
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Unpublished: Choose this option to create an app without linking a store. You can also choose this option when your app is in a store that Ad Manager doesn't support. You'll need to come back to Ad Manager and link the app to a supported app store for your app to be marked as published.
On this page
- Set up a published app
- Set up an unpublished app
- Unlink an app from an app store
- Supported stores for mobile apps and CTV
- Common reasons your app isn’t ready to serve ads
Set up a published app
Re-released apps
If you've re-released an app to the app store, the app could be given a different app ID. Re-create any re-released apps to make sure you can continue to use them for targeting and ad unit mapping.
- Sign in to Google Ad Manager.
- Click Inventory, then Apps, then Add app.
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Select the app's platform:
- Android
- iOS
- Roku
- Amazon Fire TV
- PlayStation
- Xbox
- Samsung TV
- LG TV
- Select Yes, the app is listed on a supported app store.
- Click Continue.
- For apps listed in Google Play, the Apple App Store, or a supported Connected TV store, select the supported stores for mobile apps or CTV where your app is listed and then click Continue.
- Review your app details and click Add app. Newly claimed apps appear in the table.
Set up an unpublished app
Re-released apps
If you've re-released an app to the app store, the app could be given a different app ID. Re-create any re-released apps to make sure you can continue to use them for targeting and ad unit mapping.
- Sign in to Google Ad Manager.
- Click Inventory, then Apps, then Add app.
-
Select the app's platform:
- Android
- iOS
- Roku
- Amazon Fire TV
- PlayStation
- Xbox
- Samsung TV
- LG TV
- Select No, then Continue.
- Enter a name for your app. It's suggested that you use the same app name that's used in the app store where it's listed.
- Click Add app. Newly claimed apps appear in the table.
Once you publish your app and list it in a store that Ad Manager supports, come back to Ad Manager and link the app to its app store listing .
Suspended or private apps
If the app is suspended or private in the corresponding app store, you could encounter an error when attempting to claim an app. App suspension can also occur due to policy violations, preventing it from being discoverable or serving ads. Ensure your app complies with all relevant policies .
You can't link private Google Play apps to Ad Manager. Android apps must be publicly available in a supported store to link to Ad Manager.
Unlink an app from an app store
If an app was linked incorrectly or you no longer want it associated with a specific store listing, you can unlink it.
Follow these steps to remove the store association from your app in Google Ad Manager:
- Sign in to Google Ad Manager.
- Click Inventory, then Apps.
- Click the name of the app you want to unlink to open its Settingspage.
- In the "App stores" section, click Clear store details.
- Review the dialog box that appears alerting you to the potential impact on ad serving and check the box to confirm you understand these changes.
- Click Confirm.
- Click Save at the bottom of the app settings page to apply the changes.
Once unlinked, the app will return to an "unlinked" or "unpublished" status. To associate the app with a store again, you will need to trigger the linking flow manually through the app detail page or the apps table.
Supported stores for mobile apps
Ad Manager supports the following mobile app stores:
- Amazon Appstore
- Apple App Store
- Google Play Store
- OPPO App Market
- Samsung Galaxy Store
- VIVO App Store
- Xiaomi GetApps
Supported stores for CTV
Ad Manager supports the following CTV app stores:
- Roku
- Amazon Fire TV
- PlayStation
- Xbox
- Samsung TV
- LG TV
Roku
Example Roku app URL format: https://channelstore.roku.com/details/<app-ID>/<app-name>
Go to the Roku Channel Store
PlayStation
Example PlayStation app URL format: https://store.playstation.com/<country>/product/<app-ID>
Go to the PlayStation Store
Amazon Fire TV
Example Amazon app URL format: https://www.amazon.com/<app-name>/dp/<app-ID>
Go to Amazon (search for your app within "Apps & Games")
Xbox
Example Xbox app URL format: https://www.xbox.com/<country>/games/store/<app-name>/<app-ID>
Go to the Xbox store
Samsung TV
Example Samsung app URL format: https://www.samsung.com/<country>/appstore/app/<app-ID>
Go to the Samsung app store
LG TV
Example LG TV app URL format: https://us.lgappstv.com/main/tvapp/detail?appId=<app-ID>
Go to the LG content store
App status
Note: Learn more about app statuses and what they mean .
Common reasons your app isn’t ready to serve ads
| Issue | What you can do |
|---|---|
| Your account hasn't been verified. | If your Ad Manager account is not verified, the app status will remain "Getting ready." |
| Your app has a verification failure. | Verify the store ID, package name, or app name are correct, and ensure the third-party store package names are copied exactly. |
| Are there any private apps? | Private Google Play apps cannot be linked or reviewed. They must be publicly available. |
Shared app data for AdMob and Ad Manager
The name and visibility status for mobile apps you claim in Ad Manager is shared with AdMob and vice versa. This means that when you create or add a new app in either product, the app is shared between products. For example, if you add "Example App" to Ad Manager, it is automatically listed in AdMob.
In essence, you have a single set of apps across both products, while you maintain separate app settings for both products. Fixing a readiness issue in one platform may resolve it for the other platform.
Other app information, such as the number of ad units and campaigns, is specific to the product. For example, you may have 10 ad units in AdMob with your mobile app and those ad units are not shared with Ad Manager.
If you're a Multiple Customer Management (MCM) "Manage Account" child publisher with both AdMob and Ad Manager accounts, your MCM parent publisher will be able to view and modify your shared app data. MCM "Manage Inventory" parent publishers should claim child apps in their parent network.
MCM MI child apps using SDK Bidding should use the parent's Google Ad Manager App ID in their app to correctly transact with bidders who require placement information to bid. If the child uses their own Google Ad Manager App ID, then SDK Bidders may not bid.
